Acceptance
by MegTDJ
Summary: Sam and Teal'c bond over their mutual grief. SamTeal'c


Title: Acceptance  
Author: MegTDJ  
Category: Drama  
Rating: K+  
Pairing: Sam/Teal'c  
Spoilers: Meridian, Revelations  
Summary: Sam and Teal'c bond over their mutual grief.  
Disclaimer: Stargate SG-1, its universe and its characters are not mine. The story itself is, however, so please don't archive without my permission.

Author's notes: For Kerri, who was going crazy looking for Sam/Teal'c fic. There needs to be more S/T love in this fandom, people! Come on! :P

_(Additional note: This was written in 2006, uploaded to FFnet in 2008.)_

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox  
**Alive**

Sam woke up from her third nightmare of the night and kicked her blanket away in disgust. Ever since Daniel's radiation sickness and ascension, she'd been seeing his burned, bleeding body in her dreams every night. So much for the fresh country air of P4X 297 being good for what ails you - nothing would ever erase that image from her mind. Maybe coming on this mission wasn't such a good idea after all.

She glanced over at SG-1's new recruit, Captain Jarvis, who was snoring softly over on the other side of the tent. She both envied and resented him for sleeping so soundly on his first overnight mission, though she had to admit that most of the resentment stemmed from the simple fact that he wasn't Daniel.

"Will I ever get used to this?" she mumbled to herself as she crept out of the tent. She had to get away from that unfamiliar presence before she went completely insane.

As she stepped out into the cold night air, a waft of warmth from the nearby campfire brushed her cheek. She breathed in the smell of wood smoke and couldn't help but smile. This part of their off-world missions she had definitely missed.

She peeked around the side of her tent to see who was standing watch, and felt herself relax when she saw Teal'c sitting by the fire, poking at smoldering logs with a stick. She hadn't realized before just how tense she'd been feeling around Colonel O'Neill since Daniel's ascension, but it made sense. He'd been more ornery than ever, and now they didn't have Daniel's freedom of speech, his "insubordinate subordination", to fall back on whenever the colonel needed reining in. He was sullen and cranky, and there wasn't a damn thing that she or Teal'c could do about it.

Teal'c, on the other hand, had been her rock. They'd been growing closer and closer every day, drawn together by their shared grief. Sam could feel the beginnings of a "you and me against the world" bond blossoming between them, and while she'd felt for the past few years that Daniel was the closest friend she'd ever had, Teal'c was definitely helping to fill the void now that Daniel was gone.

"Anything interesting happen while I was asleep?" she asked as she approached him and sat down beside him on the mossy log.

"Nothing." Teal'c looked up and gave her one of those soft smiles that he saved for special occasions. "I believe O'Neill will be relieving me shortly, Major Carter. Why are you not asleep?"

Sam shrugged and held her hands out to the fire. "I can't sleep," she said. "Too many thoughts in my head. Too many memories."

Teal'c nodded thoughtfully. "I understand."

They sat for a moment in silence before Sam finally spoke again. "He should be here, Teal'c. I can't stop... I keep thinking..." She sighed. "He should be here."

Teal'c lifted his chin and looked away from the fire, but Sam could still see the tears glistening in his eyes. "Indeed," was all he seemed able to say.

Sam shook her head as she looked at him, amazed that so much emotion could be portrayed by one small word. "You feel it, too, don't you?" she said. "That something's missing? That nothing will ever be the same again?"

Teal'c looked at her with that calm, knowing look that always made her feel safe and reassured. "I feel that Daniel Jackson will be with us always," he said.

Sam swallowed hard and looked back at the fire. She couldn't disagree with that - Daniel was certainly with her always, though it seemed to be a more positive presence for Teal'c than it was for her.

Teal'c must have seen or sensed her conflicting emotions, as he laid his hand gently on her arm and gave it an encouraging squeeze. "I believe he would be glad to see that our bond remains strong, Samantha," he said when she turned her face towards him again.

Sam smiled at the thought. "He would, wouldn't he?"

Teal'c's features softened as their eyes locked, and a wave of complete understanding seemed to pass between them. He didn't need to say anything more, so he didn't even try. Everything he was feeling was expressed in his eyes, and Sam knew exactly how to read them. He did miss Daniel just as much as she did, but deep down he admired Daniel for taking this great, frightening step towards enlightenment. After all, wasn't that what every Jaffa dreamed of? How could they go on mourning him when he had achieved something so wonderful and was having more amazing experiences than they could ever imagine?

Sam had been fighting against this line of reasoning all along, but somehow as she sat there gazing at him, Teal'c's serenity and acceptance started to wash over her. Her turbulent thoughts began to mellow, her body felt warm and relaxed, and for the first time since that horrible day she actually felt as though she could start to let go.

"Thanks, Teal'c," she whispered. She wanted to say more, but the way he smiled and nodded told her that he already understood.

She reached up to touch the side of his face with her fingertips, the soft glow of his skin in the firelight proving too enticing to resist. At the contact, Teal'c's expression changed slightly, his eyes shining with a fondness that Sam had rarely seen. The sight of it took her breath away, and she felt herself shiver in spite of the feeling of warmth it sent rushing through her body.

Sam closed her eyes as they began to lean towards each other, parting her lips slightly in anticipation of a kiss. She knew they were on duty and therefore should remain professional and alert, but she'd suddenly realized how badly she wanted this to happen. She didn't know where or when or how, but the plain fact was she had fallen in love with Teal'c. Admitting that to herself somehow made everything start to make sense.

The kiss was nothing spectacular. Deep down they both knew that this was neither the time nor the place, so it was more of a friendly peck than a steamy, passionate encounter. But God, did it ever feel good to _feel_ something again after being numb for so long.

"Forgive me, Major Carter," Teal'c said quickly, shattering the moment soon after it had begun. "I should not..."

Sam held her hand to his mouth and made a quiet shushing sound. "Don't ruin it by saying we shouldn't, Teal'c," she said. "Because we should. And we will. Just... not here."

Teal'c inclined his head in agreement and took her hand. "Then we must end our conversation here, and continue when we are home once again," he said.

Sam felt a thrill from head to toe when he raised her hand and kissed it. She felt as though acting this way with Teal'c should feel weird after being friends and teammates for so long, but somehow it just felt right. She squeezed his hand in return and rose to her feet. "I think I can sleep now," she said. "So... I guess I'll see you in the morning."

Teal'c bowed his head and slowly released her hand as she walked away.

Sam sighed to herself as she climbed back under her blanket and rested her head on her pillow. She'd lied a moment before - she knew for a fact that she wouldn't be able to sleep a wink for the rest of the night, but at least this time it wasn't out of fear of what she might dream. She just couldn't wait until morning.

The End


End file.
